Gravel Training Plans

Before I moved to the Methow, I didn’t own a car. I biked everywhere I needed to go, and mountain biking was my first love, back in college. Over the years trail running took my heart, and biking didn’t feel very possible with toting kids around. My cross bike collected dust, and when I rode it, just getting out of our neighborhood left me rattled from all the washboards. Then last year I sprained my foot going over a tree, and the bike shop happened to post a pretty gravel bike on their instagram. The next thing I knew, I had a spiffy new comfy gravel bike. I rode it occasionally but as my foot healed, running took priority again. This year, however, something clicked and I fell back in love with biking. The roads are still in pristine condition, and our lower trails are tacky and oh so much fun.

I know people have been gravel riding for many years now, but more and more athletes we coach are adding a steed to their rotation, and we’re seeing more and more rides pop up. I’ve started adding specific strength exercises to my own training given the different body positioning and demands of the sport (hello, neck!).

We put together three training plans specific to gravel riding, though they could certainly incorporate mountain biking as well, since if you’re like me, certain days just scream for mountain biking.

We also have our summer training group that includes a plan of your choice, weekly emails, Slack channels, and more.